Dallas Cowboys vs Buffalo Bills What to Watch For
There are a few games on Sunday that are of the utmost importance for playoff positoning, but the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys could be the most important, especially for the Bills. The Buffalo Bills are sitting at 5-3 tied with the New York Jets and the New England Patriots for first place in the A.F.C. East. Lose this game and the Bills go to 5-4 having lose three of their last four games. They could go into a tail-spin. Win this game and they go to 6-3 with a date next week in Miami (and the Dolphins are terrible at home), which could be enough to get them to their first playoff apperance in ages.
The Cowboys are currently two games behind the New York Giants a loss could push them to three games behind the Giants with only 7 games left to play, a seemingly nearly insurmountable lead with the two playoff wild cards likely coming from the South (Falcons or Saints) and the North (fthe Lions or Bears), this could be the game that breaks the Cowboys backs for the playoffs.
Here are some things to watch for in today’s game.
Marcell Dareus and Tyron Smith
If Kyle Williams was playing this would read Marcell Dareus VS Tyron Smith and that would be a very exciting matchup because Dareus is a mammoth of a man and Smith is a well built, but lean mean fighting machine. Dareus has really played well at times this year, but the Bills front seven has struggled to stop the run all year. I’m fascinated to watch these young linemen play on Sunday.
DeMarco Murray vs the Bills porus run defense
During the off-season the Buffalo Bills really focused on bulking up their front seven. They added players like Marcell Dareus, Nick Barnett, Kelvin Sheppard (another key young guy in today’s game), but their run defense has still struggled at times this season. The Bills lack speed in their front seven and Murray is a fast, fast man. He could really give the Bills fits on Sunday.
Torrel Troup, Alex Carrington, and Kellen Heard
With the horrible news that Pro Bowl DL Kyle Williams is out for the season with a foot injury, the Bills really need one of these young linemen to step up. Marcell Dareus has done an admirable and at times amazing job filling in at the nose tackle spot, but the Bills need better play all the way around from the D-line. If the Cowboys are able to control the line of scrimmage and just run the ball at will, this game will get ugly.
Chris Hairston vs DeMarcus Ware
The Bills were going to have enough trouble blocking DeMarcus Ware already. The fact that starting LT Demetrius Bell is out and will not play to be replaced by the rookie offensive linemen out of Clemson isn’t going to make things any easier. Ware is one of the finest pass rushers in the league and could spend all day giving Fitzpatrick fits.
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